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Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival

Bryce Canyon is known as the Night Sky Sanctuary to many. With astronomy experts leading the way join the Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival invites all stargazers to come out for education, entertainment and the starry skies above.

Organization: AllTrips.com
Date: 05/18/2012 update info
Time: 9:00:00 AM - 11:00:00 PM
Event Cost: Free
Venue: various locations in Bryce Canyon National Park,UT
Contact: Bryce Canyon National Park
Email:
Website: www.nps.gov/brca/planyourvisit/astrofest.htm
Event Details:

JOIN US FOR THE ULTIMATE 4-DAY/NIGHT ASTRONOMY EVENT!

2012 marks the 12th Annual Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival, and to commemorate this milestone, we not only have the usual four nights of wonderfully dark sky that you can explore with our HUGE telescopes, we are also offering the best possible front-row seat to the astonishing "Ring of Fire" solar eclipse. Over the course of 2 hours and 12 minutes our Moon will pass in front of our Sun but because our Moon will be at a distant point in its orbit, it won't completely block our Sun, leaving a fiery ring in the sky. And, the resulting shadow, 180 miles in diameter, will plunge the Bryce Canyon region into five full minutes of premature twilight! Venus trailing a few degrees behind will suddenly appear as will some of the brightest stars.

DAY 1: THURSDAY, MAY 17

  • 10:00am-12:00 Noon (open house) 
     SOLAR ASTRONOMY @ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center

  • 10:00am-12:00 noon (assembly) and 12:30-3:00pm (launch ops) MODEL ROCKET BUILDING & LAUNCHING workshop  @ Bryce Canyon City Fire Station/Emergency Service Bldg. (kits with motor from $10-$30 - purchase rocket kit voucher at Visitor Center bookstore)
  • 4:00-5:30pm PLANET WALK @ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center

  • 6:00-7:00pm PLANISPHERE PRACTICE @ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center Theater

  • 3 CONCURRENT PRESENTATIONS - FREE tickets must be obtained in person @ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
    - 8:00-9:00pm @ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center: "The First Star People" Bryce Dark Ranger Sean Duffy

    - 8:30-9:30pm @ Bryce Canyon Lodge Auditorium: "Lunacy: Humanity's Fixation with our Moon" Bryce Dark Ranger Kevin Doxstater

    - 9:00-10:00pm @ North Campground Amphitheater: Strange Universe" Bryce Dark Ranger Geoff Goins

  • 9:30pm-12:00am STARGAZING @ The Bryce Canyon Visitor Center's trailer drop-off/overflow parking lot:

         HUGE TELESCOPES provided by the Salt Lake Astronomical Society  

    CONSTELLATION TOURS  by Bryce Canyon's Dark Rangers

DAY 2: FRIDAY, MAY 18

  • 10:00am-12:00 Noon (open house) 
     SOLAR ASTRONOMY @ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center
  • 10:00am-12:00 noon (assembly) and 12:30-3:00pm (launch ops) MODEL ROCKET BUILDING & LAUNCHING workshop @ Bryce Canyon City Fire Station/Emergency Service Bldg. (kits with motor from $10-$30 - purchase rocket kit voucher at Visitor Center bookstore)
  • 4:00-5:30pm PLANET WALK @ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center

  • 6:00-7:00pm PLANISPHERE PRACTICE @ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center Theater

  • 3 CONCURRENT PRESENTATIONS - FREE tickets must be obtained in person @ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center beginning at 9:00 p.m. Thursday night.

- 8:00-9:00pm @ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center: "Eclipses - Rare in Occurrence, Rich in History" Planetarium Educator Amy Sayle 

- 8:30-9:30pm @ Bryce Canyon Lodge Auditorium: "Maya Astronomers - Predictors of Doom?" Archaeologist Jan Allen, PhD.

- 9:00-10:00pm @ North Campground Amphitheater: "The Lives of Stars" by Bryce Dark Ranger Joel Allen

  • 9:30pm-12:00am STARGAZING @ The Bryce Canyon Visitor Center's trailer drop-off/overflow parking lot:

         HUGE TELESCOPES provided by the Salt Lake Astronomical Society.  

    CONSTELLATION TOURS  by Bryce Canyon's Dark Rangers

DAY 3: SATURDAY, MAY 19

  • 10:00am-12:00 Noon (open house) 
     SOLAR ASTRONOMY @ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center

  • 10:00am-12:00 noon (assembly) and 12:30-3:00pm (launch ops) MODEL ROCKET BUILDING & LAUNCHING workshop @ Bryce Canyon City Fire Station/Emergency Service Bldg. (kits with motor from $10-$30 - purchase rocket kit voucher at Visitor Center bookstore)
  • 4:00-5:30pm PLANET WALK @ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center
  • 6:00-7:00pm PLANISPHERE PRACTICE@ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center Theater

  • 8:30-9:30pm KEYNOTE:
     Dr. Janna Levin: "Booming Black Holes: Listening for the Sound of Intense Gravity"
         (see above)
         @ Ruby's Inn's Ebenezer's Barn & Grill: Admission price:
     $3.00 per person
    $10.00 per immediate family
    (Children 5 and under Free)

  • 10:00pm-12:30am STARGAZING @ The Bryce Canyon Visitor Center's trailer drop-off/overflow parking lot:

         HUGE TELESCOPES provided by the Salt Lake Astronomical Society and the Astronomical League. 

    CONSTELLATION TOURS  by Bryce Canyon's Dark Rangers

DAY 4: SUNDAY, MAY 20 ECLIPSE DAY! 

  • 10:00am-12:00 Noon (open house) 
     SOLAR ASTRONOMY @ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center
  • 10:00am-12:00 noon (assembly) and 12:30-3:00pm (launch ops) MODEL ROCKET BUILDING & LAUNCHING workshop @ Bryce Canyon City Fire Station/Emergency Service Bldg. (kits with motor from $10-$30 - purchase rocket kit voucher at Visitor Center bookstore)
  • 4:00-5:30pm PLANET WALK @ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center
  • 6:30-8:35pm ECLIPSE VIEWING 
         FREE Eclipse Glasses and live video projection from HUGE telescopes at all 3 locations!
     @ Bryce Pt. - FREE Shuttle Access Only!
     @ Inspiration Pt. - FREE Shuttle Access Only!
    @ Ruby's Inn Rodeo Arena - Private Vehicles Access OK! 
     
  • 3 CONCURRENT PRESENTATIONS - FREE tickets must be obtained in person @ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center beginning at 10:00 p.m. Saturday night.

- 8:30-9:30pm @ Bryce Canyon Visitor Center: "Aliens Among Use" by Bryce Dark Ranger Kassaundra Packer

- 9:00-10:00pm @ Bryce Canyon Lodge Auditorium: "Unseen Universe" by Bryce Dark Ranger Ron Warner

- 9:30-10:30pm @ North Campground Amphitheater: "Sol: Bringer of Life, Giver of Death" by Bryce Dark Ranger Kevin Poe

  • 10:00pm-12:00am STARGAZING @ The Bryce Canyon Visitor Center's trailer drop-off/overflow parking lot:

         HUGE TELESCOPES  provided by the Dark Rangers of Bryce Canyon, Cedar Breaks, Great Basin, & Zion National Parks 

    CONSTELLATION TOURS  by Bryce Canyon's Dark Rangers

  • Hundreds of gazers each year
  • Free telescope use
  • A great family event

Overview: An indoor presentation by an astronomy expert, stargazing telescopes and the gorgeous night sky attract millions each year to Bryce Canyon National Park for the Astronomy Festival. No need to bring you own telescope, several are provided by the park service for your use to enjoy night sky.


When: This even takes place each year either at the end of June or early July for three days.

Where: Bryce Canyon National Park. The majority of events are held at the Bryce Canyon Visitor Center but there are schedule events throughout the park as well.

Fees: There is a fee for the keynote speaker. But park visitors enjoy the majority of events for free. Free entry to Utah residents as well.

Details: The park service provides telescope use for free each night for star viewing. The featured speaker is held at Ruby's Inn's Ebenezer's Barn and Grill. Most events begin mid afternoon around 2 or 3 and run through midnight each night. Enjoy model rocket building, earn an astronomy badge, take a tour of the constellations and sit back and gaze at the skies above.

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